Pittswood Birds

A TAWNY OWL (64) joined the months list when one was heard ''kewicking'' at 04:15 this morning, waking me from my slumber,  I went to the back bedroom window and had a listen, finding at least 2 more hooting over towards the Wet Woods / Lake area.

Three hours later I was out on my patch, conditions were typical for a November day, being dull, cool, misty and damp, despite this, I decided on a full patch walk, which provided a miserly tally of just 38 species.

Regular species that were not seen today, like Greenfinch, MistleThrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Pheasant, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, or any kind of Goose, were made up for, by sightings of some not so regular species, including YELLOWHAMMER, KINGFISHER and GREY WAGTAIL, plus two species that have yet to be seen this month, LINNET (65) which was feeding at the Greenhouse Grounds with a flock of 30-40 GOLDFINCH, (I thought i'd seen the last of this species until next spring) and RING NECKED PARAKEET (66) of which an incredible (for here) 22 flew over Migrant Alley, what a brilliant sight, the contact calls they were making were quite alien sounding.

A TREECREEPER was an unusual find in the boundary hedgerow of the Greenhouse Grounds, where a party of 13 LONG TAILED TITS breezed along its short length. Other birds seen around the Greenhouse Grounds included a lone MEADOW PIPIT, a pair of GOLDCRESTS, a few PIED WAGTAILS, a couple of SONGTHRUSHES, and a t least 9 DUNNOCKS.

There was not too much going on at the lakes, just the COOT pair, and the already mentioned kingfisher were of note. The Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods were dismal places to be in this morning, dark and damp, with water dripping of the half canopied trees, so it was not surprising that I only heard a few ''ticking'' ROBINS, the soft melancholic calls of a BULLFINCH, a squawk of a JAY and calls from both GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS.

A BUZZARD was feeding in the large field just off Ashes Lane, the only raptor seen today.

Despite the lack of species and dismally dull weather today, it was quite an enjoyable visit, the three new species that have been added to the November list bring the months species tally up to 66, which puts it in 2nd place out of the 13 years, it is the same tally as recorded in the whole of November 2011, and just 2 species behind the record November tally of 68, set in 2010.

Still a few images taken from my garden last week to brighten the post!